Illuminated decorative device



E. M. M c ARTNEY I YLLUMINATEDDECORATIVE DEVICE Fileavan. 5, 192 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24,1925. 1,527,596

Feb. 24 I v E. M. M CARTNEY ILLUMINATED DECORATIVE DEVICE Filealfa n. 5, 192g 2 Sheets-Sheet 4 VII Patented Feb. 24, 1925. j i 1,527,596

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR MOORE MAGCARTNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T BOTANICAL DECORATING (70., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ILLUMINATEID DECORATIVE DEVICE.

Application filed January 3, 19,22. $eria1 No. 526,675.

To all whom it may concern: tubular so that the upper end portion of the Be it known that I, EDGAR Moons MAodevice may be finished off in any desired CARTNEY, a citizen of the United States, I'emanner with the decorative member at the siding at Chicago in the county of Cook upper end thereof either rotating with the 55 5 and State of Illino s, have invented a certain other parts of the device or remaining stanew and useful Improvement in Illuminated tionary, this being possible with the sta- Decorative Devices, of which the following tionary inner tubular member. The inner is a full, clear, concise, and exact descriptubular member also may serve as a conduit tion, reference being had to the .accompanyforcarrying conductors from a source of 60 ing drawings, fori'ning a part of this speci current to a lighting device, which may be iication. placed in the top of the illuminated device. My invention relates to an illuminated It is another purpose of the invention to decorative device, and more particularly to provide new and improved means for spaca device of this character which is provided ing the members mounted on the shaft, said 65 with reflecting surfaces for reflecting light members being preferably in the form of from a source of light placed adjacent spacing sleeves between the cubes mounted thereto. on said shaft.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide Other objects and advantages of the ina plurality ofrota-table members arranged vent-ion will appear as the description of 70 in vertical relative relationship to each other, the accompanying drawings proceeds. I -Iowsaid members rotating with a common shaft ever, I desire to have it distinctly underand being driven by any. suitable driving. stood that I do not intend to limit myself means, and to provide decorated surfaces to the exact details shown or described, but for said members comprising preferably a that I intend to include as part of my in- 7.

2 plurality of small reflecting members placed vention all such obvious changes and modion the outer surface of the rotatable means. fications of parts as would occur to a per- It is particularly a purpose of the invenson skilled in this art, and as would fall tion to provide a decorative device as used within the scope of the claims. in show windows or for other display pur- In the drawings: 80 poses which comprises a plurality of cubes Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved mounted on a vertically extending shaft, decorated device showing a source of light said cubes decreasing in size from .the bot-, used in conjunction therewith;

tom toward the top of said shaft and being Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of said provided with reflecting members on the device, partly broken away taken on the 35 outer surfaces thereof, which are adapted plane 2-2 of Fig. 3, said section passing to reflect the light from any suitable source through a diagonal of the cubes;

so as to produce a pleasing eflect on the eye Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 as the cubes are rotated with the shaft. Said of Fig. 1; and

cubes are preferably mounted so that the Fig.4 is a fragmentary detail vertical secshaft passes through diagonally opposite tional view of the upper end of the device corners of the cubes, and for certain pur-' with a modified form of finishing means for poses, such as for Christmas decorations, the top of the device. v

suitable flexible members may be secured to Referring in detail to the drawings, the the rotating portions of the device so as to improved decorative device comprises a base rotate with said cubes, said flexible members member 5 upon which is mounted a motor being preferably provided with decorative 6, which is provided with a worm on the material, such as tinsel, depending thereshaft 7 thereof engaging with the gear 8 from. i mounted on the shaft 9, between the plates It is also a purpose of the invention to 10 and 11, ,which are securedtogether by provide a stationary hollow shaft-like memmeans of the bolts 12 and spaced by the her within said rotating shaft, which is also spacing sleeves 1?, Carried on the shaft 9 is a gear 14 meshing with the gear 15 mounted on the hollow shaft 16, so that the rotation of the shaft of the motor Will rotate the shaft 16 through said gear. The

plate 10 is mounted on the base 5 in any suitable manner, as for example, on the standards 17. The base portion 5 is provided with a framework mounted thereon which comprises the legs 18 extending at an acute angle to said base and secured thereto by means of the bolts 19 provided with the knobs 20 for decorative purposes. The legs 18 radiate from a ring-like central portion 21, which is provided with a circular opening 22 and with a ball race 23 for receiving the bearing balls 24. The shaft 16 extends through the opening 22, said shaft 16 being hollow and having mounted within the same the stationary tubular member 25 which is secured to the plate 10 in any suitable manner, as by means of the screw threads 46. A. spacing member 27 is provided between the member 10 and the gear 15 on said member 25. The tubular member 25 is stationary and extends from top to bottom of the device. The shaft 16 also extends the full length of the device.

Mounted on the shaft 16 to turn therewith are a plurality of cubes or other similar closed figures 26. The lowermost cube 26 is provided with a ring 27 at the lower end thereof that rests on the member 21. The upper end portion of the member 26 and the opposite ends of the other members 26 are provided with sleeve-like tubular members 28 which are secured to the members 26 and 26 so as to be rigid therewith. The members 28 fit snugly on the shaft 16 so that the cubes turn therewith.

' Mounted between the cubes 26 at their adjacent ends and surrounding the tubular members 28 are the spacing sleeves 29. The members 26 and 26 are provided with the sleeve-like extensions 28 at diagonally opposite corners thereof, said members 26 and 26 being preferably in the form of cubes, or other rectangular solid figures. The outer surface of the cubes may be decorated in any desired manner. Preferably said surfaces are decorated with a plurality of mirrors 30, which are shown in the drawings as being circular in form. The mirrors are arranged preferably in rows as shown in the drawings, and are spaced from each other so as to provide small reflecting surfaces. The mirrors are imbedded in a material shown at 31 which is preferably roughened on its surface, but which has particles therein that also reflect the light. To further increase the decorative effect of the device, flexible members 32 are provided which extend about the sleeves 29 adjacent the cubes directly below said sleeves. The sleeves 29 are made so as to fit tightly on the sleeves 28, so that the members 32 will turn with the sleeves 29 and with the cubes 26 and 26. The ends of the members 32 are provided the light, as shown at 34:, is hung over the members 32. The members 28 are secured to the material from which the cubes are made in any suitable manner, as by cementing or soldering the same thereto, the cubes being hollow as will be clear from Fig. 2. The frai'nework comprising the members 18 and the ring 21 is covered by means of a sheet metal covering member 35 so as to hide the mechanism mounted on the base member 5. The upper end portion of the shaft 16 carries the sleeve 29, similar to the spacing sleeves between the cubes. and in this sleevelike member are mounted the flexible members 36 which carry the balls 37 on the ends thereof, and which are provided with tinsel or other suitable light reflecting decorative means 38. As the sleeve 29 turns with the cubes and with the members 32 the bush-like cluster of members 36 will also turn with said cubes, said members giving the appearance of the branches of a tree or similar member. Light from any suitable source, Such as the spot light 39, may be thrown on the device, colored lights being used if de sired. The light will be reflected from the various reflecting surfaces on the cubes, and the light reflecting material on the flexible members 32 and 36.

It Will be. noted that the tubular member 25 extends upwardly so as to project. slightly beyond the end of the shaft 16. Said tubular member is provided with the electrical conductors 40 which extend up through the same, and which are adapted to supply electrical current to a light bulb ll which is mounted in the end portion of the member 25, and is accordingly adapted to remain stationary, while the other parts of the device turn. Any other decorative or lighting means may be substituted for the light at l1, if it is desired to keep the means at the upper end of the device stationary. while any other decorating means may be inserted in the sleeve-like member 29, so as to turn therewith if it is desired, due to the same turning with the cubes of the device.

It will be evident from the above that a device is provided which will produce a very pleasing effect on the eye when light is thrown on the same. It will be understood. of course. that the light may be thrown from a controlled source of current, such as the spot light 39, or that light may be obtained from any lighting means within a reasonable range of the decorative device.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a plurality of polyhedrons mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith,

said polyhedrons each having a plurality ofv plane light reflecting members mounted on the faces thereof.

2. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a cube mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, said cube having a plural ity of plane light reflecting members mount ed on each of the faces thereof.

3. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a cube mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, said cube having a plurality of plane light reflecting members mounted. on each of the faces thereof, said shaft extending through diagonally opposite corners of said cube.

4. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a cube mounted on Sn. to

id shait rotate therewith, said cube having a pinrality of spaced mirrors mounted on each of the faces thereof.

5. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a cube mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, said cube having a. plurality of spaced mirrors mounted on each of the faces thereof, said shaft extending through diagonally opposite corners of said cube.

(3. A device of the character described comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a plurality of polyhedrons mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, said polyhedrons having a plurality of light reflecting members mounted on the faces thereof, a plurality of flexible members extending laterally from said shaft, and light reflecting material depending from said flexible membore.

7. A. device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft embracing said tubular member, a bearing in said base member for said shaft and driving means for rotating said shaft, said shaft having a plurality of cubes of graduated size mounted thereon to turn therewith.

8. A. device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft embracing said tubular member, a bearin in said base member for said shaft and riving means for rotating said shaft, said shaft having a plurality of cubes of graduated size mounted thereon to turn therewith, said shaft passing through diagonally opposite corners of said cubes.

9. A device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertieally upward therefrom, a tubular shaft e1nbracing said tubular member, a bearing in said base meml r for said shaft and driving means for rotating said shaft, said shaft having a plurality of cubes of graduated size mounted thereon to turn therewith and spacing sleeves on said shaft between said cubes.

10. A device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft embracing said tubular member, a bearing in said base member for said shaft and driving means for rotating said shaft, said shaft having a plurality of cubes of graduated size mounted thereon to turn therewith, said cubes having a plurality of spaced mirrors on each of the faces thereof.

11. A device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft embracing said tubular member, a bearing in said base member for said shaft and driving means for rotating said shaft, said shaft having a plurality of cubes of graduated size mounted thereon to turn therewith, the cube at the upper end of said shaft having a socket member adapted to receive decorative devices mounted thereon to turn therewith.

12. A device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft embracing said tubular member, a decorative device thereon, a bearing in said base member for said shaft and driving means for rotating said shaft, said fixed tubular member having an electrical conductor passing endwise therethrough and being adapted to receive a light in the upper end thereof.

13. A device of the character described comprising a base member, a tubular member fixed on said base and extending vertically upward therefrom, a tubular shaft emb 'acing said tubular member, a decorative device thereon, a bearing in said base member for said shaft and driving means for retating said shaft, said fixed tubular member being open at the upper end thereof to form a socket for receiving decorative means.

l t. A device of the character described comprising a cube having plane light reflecting members mounted on the faces thereof, means for mounting said cube for rotation and means for rotating said cube.

15. A device of the character described comprising a cube having plane light reflecting members mounted on the faces thereof, means for mounting said cubes for rotntion about a diagonal axis of said cube, sui'l'ace being roughened and means for r0 and means for rotating said cube. utmg said cube.

16. In a device of the character described In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 10 a rotatable decorative cube having a plumy name this 23rd day of December A. 1)., i'ality of small mirrors mounted in spaced 1921. relation on the faces thereof and a light reflecting surface between said mirrors, said EDGAR MGORE MACCARTNEY. 

